Fishermen in Kampong Chhnang have finally caught the men suspected of habitually stealing fishing nets from their community, police in Kampong Chhnang town said yesterday.

Som Chork, 41, a representative of the fishing community, said that net thefts have gone on unpunished for months.

But on midday Sunday, the fishermen decided to take their boat to check on their nets and caught the four suspects red-handed, Chork said.

“The four suspects are workers at Phsar Krom Port, and one of them used to be in jail for three years for theft,” said Ma Yun, the Kampong Chhnang town chief of police.

The suspects include Lem Theara, 28; Nuon Manet, 38; Mork Eang, 38; and Cheam Chanthoeun, 29.

According to Yun, the four suspects admitted that they tried to steal a net that was left near Domnak Porpul village, where the fishing community is based.

“The stolen net is 2,100 metres long; [the fishermen] had just shared the money to buy the nets – and it cost about 2 million riel [about $500] – in order to fish to support their families,” he said.